Process for dehydrating oil



'May 19,1925. 1,538,739

H. F. OWEN PROCESS FOR DEHYDRATING OIL Filed Dec. 10, 1923. 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 19, 1925.

3538,73 .1 H. F. OWEN PROCESS FOR DEHYDRATING OIL Filed Dec. 10, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w yra STORAGE Call/051M558 Patented May 19 19 25.

UNITE HENRY FREDERIC OWEN, OF MARICOPA, CALIFORNIA.

PROCESS FOR. DEHYDRATING OIL.

Application filed December 10, 1923. Serial No. 679,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. OWEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maricopa, in the county of Kern and the State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Dehydrating Oil, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus and process for the dehydration of oil, more particularly crude petroleum, and has'for its main object the provision of new and improved apparatus and process whereby the disadvantages inherent in the old means for dehydrating oil are obviated.

Vith this main object in View, I'have provided an apparatus and process in which oil maintained under a suitable pressure is passed, as continuously as desired, through a heating device in which steam under suitable pressure serves as a heating medium. I am aware that it has heretofore been proposed to use steam as a heating medium for dehydrating oil butall previous dehydrating devices making use of steam-as a heating medium have been impracticable and unsatisfactory,if not unsuccessful, because such devices were incapable of taking care of large quantities of oil and for other reasons well known to those skilled in the-art. A continuous process making use of the furnace type of heater has also been employed, but such process is exceptionally disadvantageous more particularly because of the fire hazard. My invention overcomes these two main difiiculties incident to the use of the old methods and has other advantages that will be apparent from the following description.

For a complete understanding of myinvention reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of the heater partly broken away to show the oil compartments and tubes and the steam compartment;

Fig. 2 is a detail View of an oil tube provided with a helical strip for causing a more complete heating of the oil in the course of its passage through the tubes;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the several parts of the apparatus and the steps in the process; and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the trap tank used in my process.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral 10 designates the heater and comprises lower and upper oil compartments l1 and 12, respectively, and a steam compartment 13. compartments are separated by tube sheets 14 and 15, and the oil compartments 11 and 12 are connected by the tubes 16, there being a plurality of such tubes as is obvious. The heater 10 may be mounted on suitable standards 17 and 18. It will be readily understood that the oil enters the compartment or oil section 11 through the inlet pipe 19, passes through the tubes 16 into the oil compartment or section 12, and thence through the outlet pipe 20 through an adjustable back pressurevalve 21 of any suitable type.

The steam is supplied to the steam section 13 from a suitable source through the inlet pipe'22 controlled by a pressure regulator 23, of any suitable type, which is responsive to the oil pressure in the outlet pipe 20, a pipe 2% serving to communicate such oil pressure to the pressure regulator 23. A steam trap 25, of any suitable type, is connected to the steam section 13 and serves to remove the condensation therefrom. Each tube 16 is provided with a helical baffle stri 26 which causes the oil as it passes throng the tube to have a helical motion so that practically all of the oil in each tube is brought in contact with the sides of the tube thus insuring equal and maximum heating of all the oil. the provision of a large number of elongated oil tubes affords a maximum heating surface for the oil passed through the heater. The oil is maintained at a minimum back pressure of about 30 pounds and the steam is maintained responsively at a pressure of about 30 pounds, the oil being heated to about 235 degrees. This pressure is suflicient to prevent substantial vaporization within the heater. To a certain extentl have found that the greater the back pres- I sure on the oil, the less is thesteam required to break the emulsion. Very good results are obtained with 40 pounds back pressure on the oil. It will be readily perceived that oil that is to be dehydrated may be pumped The oil and steam It will be understood that continuously through the heater and the proper amount of steam will be supplied to the heater and controlled by the oil pressure responsive regulator 23. Only casual watching of the oil temperature thermometer 27 in the upper oil section 12 and of the steam pressure gage 28 in the steam section 13 is necessary for ascertaining that the heater is operating properly.

When the heated oil leaves the heater through the pipe-2O it consists of liquid oil, water vapor and hydro-carbon vapors. These fluids are assed to a trap tank 29', shown more clear y by Fig. 4 of the drawing's. The liquid oil and the water vapor and the hydro-carbon vapors separate in this trap'tank, the liquid oil remaining in this tank and flowing therefrom through the outlet pipe 30, andthe water and hydrocarbon vapors passing therefrom'at the cone top 31 through the outlet pipe .32. It will be noted'that the oil level 33 provides a liquid seal for the outlet 30 and prevents any vapors from passing through this outlet. A vent pipe 34 is provided for the outlet pipe 30 and fprevents any siphon effect. the separation o the oil in liquid form and the water and other vapors is thus accomplished in a simple and continuous manner and the necessity for waiting while oil separates from the water and the drawing off of thefwater is thus obviated. The liquid oil may thus pass direct-1y from the separator or trap tank 29 through the outlet pipe 30 to the storage or shipping tanks. The water vapor and hydro-carbon vapors pass from the trap tank 29 and are subjected to further treatment. These vapors are led to a condenser which will be hereinafter referred to and the condensed liquids consisting of oil and water are led to a tank where the liquids separate, the water settling. to the bottom and drawn oil', and the oil distillates being run by gravity from a point near the top of the separating ,tank and thence to the storage tank.

The process will be more clearly understood by referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings. The oil to be dehydrated is supplied to the heater 10 by the supply pipe 19. The liquid oil, the water vapor, and the oil vapors pass from the heater 10 through the outlet pipe 20 into the trap tank or separator 29 where the liquid oil remains and thence flows through the outlet pipe 30 into the cooling tank 35, the use of which is optional, and thence by way of the pipe .36 to one or more stqrage vessels or tanks 37. The water and oil v ors leave the trap tank 29, as above desc ibed, through the pipe 32 and are led to a condenser previously mentioned and now referred to and designated by the reference character 38. The condensed water arfd oil, now in liquid form, pass from the condenser 38 through the pipe 39 into these rating tank 40 and from this tank 40 the oil distillateis allowed to flow to the storage tank 41 through the pipe 42., The waterthat settles in the tank 40 may be drawn'oif by siphon action or in any other sgita ble manner. With my process for treat ng oil, as above described, the essenti'a'l'fstepsin the process can be taken care of by the heater or dehydrator 10 and the tra tank 29, but for the sake of economy an in order to recover the hydrocarbon vapors that pass'with the water vapor from the top of the trap tank, I employ the condenser 38 and the settling or separating tank 40. For instance, in treating 500 barrels of oil daily, there are recovered 4 barrels of distillate by use of the condenser and settling tank, and it will be understood that this amount of distillate is only a small percentage of the lighter hydrocarbons contained in the oil.

It will be noted that in my heater, the oil is divided into a multiplicity of streams thereby offering a larger surface for the transfer of heat. Furthermore, the baflle strips in the tubes cause the oil to whirl making the lineal travel through the tube greater, causing a gentle agitation, and bringing the water particles into contact without tending to further emulsify the product. This permits a greater and more uniform heat transfer and causes the coalescence of the water particles. It is also believed that the whirling of the stream results in a stratifying action due to centrifugal force, which, though it may be small,

adds to the ultimate effect. However, the baffle strips greatly increase the efiiciency of the apparatus so as to make it a commercially operative dehydrator.

From the above description, it will be obvious that the process is a continuous one and very simple, convenient and safe in operation.- -To start and stop the operation of the plant, it is necessary only to start and stop the motor which drives the oil pump for supplying oil to the heater or dehydrator since the pressure regulator responsive to the oil pressure will control the supply of the heating medium or steam. The use of steam obviates the fire risk, and at the same time, there is provided a continuous process. In view of this disclosure, certain changes in the construction and operation of the process and appa'ratuswill suggest themselves to those skilled in this art, but it is to be understood that all such changes are part of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a continuous process for dehydrating oil, continuously passing liquid oil emulsion under pressure through a'heater, supplying steam to said heater as the heating medium and regulating said steam supply so that less steam is supplied when the oil pressure is increased, passing the heated oil at a minintaavse mum predetermined pressure to a separating 2. In a continuous process for ehydrating.

oil, pumping liquid oil through a heater under pressure, supplying steam to said heater as the heating medium in accordance with the liquid oil pressure so that less steam is supplied with increasedoil pressure, and

liquid oil.

under pressure through'a heater, supp yin steam to said heater toheat the oil, sai

steam supply being regulated by the -oi1.

pressure so that less steam is supplied with increased oil pressure, separating the resulting vapors of water and oil from the liquid oil in a separate trap tank, condensing said vapors, and separating the hydrocarbons from the water.

4. In an oil dehydrating process, supplying oil continuously through a heater and maintaining the oil at the outlet of the heater at a predetermined pressure, and sup-f plying steam to said heater in accordance with the pressure of the oil at the outlet of the heater, so that less steam issupplied with" increased oil pressure.

5. The process of dehydrating oil which consists in continuously passing oil through a heater oharacterized'by dividing the oil during its passage-into comparatively small segregated streams, whirling the oil during the passage, transmitting heat to the streams, and separating the'water from the oil.

6. Theprocess of dehydrating oil which consists in confining the oil in and causing it to travel through a multiplicity of passage s, saidpa ssa gles beingrelatively. long compared-with it eir cross-sectional area, causing the oil to whirl in said passages, transmitting heat tov the oil in said passages.

throughout the travel of the oil therethrou h, and collecting the treated oil in a stratiging chamber.

' 7. The processiof dehydrating oilwhich consists in continuously passing oil through separating the resulting vapors fronr the 'a heater characterized by dividing the oil I during its-:passage'into comparatively small 3. In a continuous process for dehydratinghydrocarbon oil, continuously passin' 3. Qil' segregated streams, whirling the oil in said streams, transmitting heat to said streams, and collecting the treated'oil in a stratifying .chamber.

'8. The process of dehydrating oil which consists in continuously passing oil through a heater in a stream, characterized by confining said stream in a conduit, whirling said oil in said stream, transmitting heat to said stream, and separating the water from the oil.

9. The process of dehydratin oil which I consists in passing oil in a co ned stream through a heating zone, heating said confined stream without substantial vaporization in said heating zone, and whirling said oil during its passage through said heating zone.

10. The process of dehydrating oil which consists in passing oil in a confined stream through a heating zone, heating said confined "stream without substantial vaporization in said heating zone, whirling said oil during its passage through said heating zone, and collecting the treated oil'in a stratifying chamber. a

In witness whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

Pennants owns. 

